Sunscreen Ninja, at Your Service.

I fry in the sun without sunscreen. Always have. When it comes to my kids and the sun, I’m like a sunscreen Ninja preparing them for battle.

It’s a whole process. First, I slather them up head to toe, then I cover them with hats, shades, and swim shirts. Then I reapply obsessively. So far so good — fortunately, sunscreen is like seatbelts. Kids have grown up wearing them so it’s no big deal. And what kid could resist these cool bendable shades from Justice?

But I have to tell you, it’s getting harder and harder to convince my tween daughter to wear the swim shirt. I don’t blame her for not wanting to cover up her cute swimsuit, but I have to stick to my guns here. I do – don’t I?

My question is why don’t retailers make, market and sell swim shirts for girls? Tweens and teens? Cute ones that come in all kinds of colors that match the suits. How about ones that you can put on and take off easily without having to squeeze them over your head? Maybe get a little crazy and offer a v-neck? Is it too much to ask?

Sure, you can find swim shirts for toddlers and boys everywhere. Lands End sells nice quality ones that I’ve been happy with in the past. But what about all of the other stores that sell these tiny bikinis for young girls? It seems to me a majority of retailers that sell girls swimsuits do not pair them with a matching swim shirt, which would be so simple. I think they’re missing the boat.

Sometimes I wonder if I’m the only one asking for this type of obvious sun protection. Am I in the minority? I have the sneaky suspicion I’m not. The other day when I asked a salesperson where I could find the swim shirts, she directed me to a table stacked with folded t-shirts emblazoned with swim team phrases. When I hesitated, she piped in saying she realized what I was after. She said a slew of moms had been asking for the very same thing. But no, they don’t sell them…yet.

Why?

Hurry up!

Now my question is for you. Am I being too cautious?

How about you? Do you insist on a swim shirt for your kids? Do you think your kids would want to wear a swim shirt more if they saw their peers wearing them or the style being advertised?